Wild Mushroom Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish made with wild mushrooms, arborio rice, white wine, and parmesan. I use whatever wild mushrooms are in season, and I forage some of them myself in the fall.
This recipe was my signature dish when I worked as a chef, and I cooked it at job interviews more than once. It got me the job each time.
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The important part is a simple mushroom purée that cooks into the rice and makes the mushroom flavor much stronger. It’s not the quickest recipe on the blog, but nothing in it is hard.
Serve it as a gourmet vegetarian main or next to lamb or fish, and turn the leftovers into Italian Rice Balls (Arancini).
If you love risotto, try my Shrimp Risotto, Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Risotto, or Pumpkin Risotto next.
What is Wild Mushroom Risotto?
Risotto comes from northern Italy. The rice cooks slowly with warm stock until it turns creamy. The creaminess comes from the starch in the rice, not from cream.
Wild mushroom risotto is the version made with forest mushrooms instead of the regular button ones. They have much more flavor, and they turn a simple risotto into a proper gourmet dish.
You don't need to forage anything for this recipe. A box of mixed wild mushrooms from the supermarket or a farmer's market works just as well.
Why This Recipe Works
- This was my signature dish as a chef, and the method here is exactly how I cooked it professionally.
- The mushroom purée gives the rice a much deeper mushroom flavor than sautéed mushrooms alone.
- It tastes like a restaurant dish, and you don't need any restaurant equipment to make it.
- You can serve it as a vegetarian main, and nobody misses the meat.
- The leftovers turn into arancini, so nothing goes to waste.
- Step-by-step pictures show you what the rice should look like at every stage.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients For the Sautéed Wild Mushrooms
Wild mushrooms are the main flavoring of this gourmet mushroom risotto recipe. They should be fresh and good quality.
You can buy wild mushrooms from the local shops, or farmer's markets. The selection might vary depending on the season.
Dried mushrooms from large supermarkets work well when fresh ones are out of season.
I have been foraging wild mushrooms for a few years now and I can find a good selection of them, especially during fall.
One of my favorite recipes to cook with freshly foraged wild mushrooms is Chinese Hot and Sour Chicken Soup and this gourmet mushroom risotto.
Best options for this risotto dish are:
- Field mushrooms
- Ceps
- Morels
- Chanterelles
- Honey fungus
- Saffron milkcap
- Parasol mushrooms
- Oysters
Ingredients For the Risotto
- Risotto rice - The most important ingredient in risotto is the rice, and you need the right type. Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, Arborio and Baldo all absorb the liquid well and give you a creamy risotto. Arborio is the one most shops sell, and Carnaroli is easier to find online or in a bigger supermarket. Baldo is in most Turkish and Middle Eastern shops. Vialone Nano is hard to find outside Italy.
- Parmesan Cheese - Use a good quality block of parmesan and grate it just before you add it to the risotto. Pre-grated cheese won't give you the same flavor or texture. You can use Pecorino Romano instead.
- Mascarpone cheese - I add this creamy cheese to all my risotto dishes for a velvety and rich texture. You can substitute it with creme fraiche.
- White wine - It adds flavor and a little acidity. You can use vermouth for a sweeter flavor if you like.
- Butter - A good quality butter gives a creamy texture and rich flavor when added just before the cooking process ends.
- Homemade Vegetable Stock - I prefer using vegetable stock for risotto dishes. Chicken Bone Broth works just as well. You can use store-bought stock or stock cubes if you don't have any homemade in hand.
- Shallots - They have a finer and sweeter flavor than onions but you can use onions if you don't have them in hand.
Ingredients For the Mushroom Purée
- Cream - Heavy cream is necessary for a flavorsome wild mushroom purée, which is the secret to a rich and creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto.
- Wild mushrooms - I use the same selection of wild mushrooms as the risotto.
How to Make Wild Mushroom Risotto
Prepare the Mushroom Purée
This simple step is what gives the risotto its intense mushroom flavor and extra creaminess. I use this method for most of my other risotto recipes such as Pumpkin Risotto.
You can be creative and use any type of wild mushroom you like. The color of the risotto will vary depending on what type of mushrooms you use.
To make the purée, heat a pan on medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté shallots until soft and lightly browned.
Add the mushrooms, sauté them for a few minutes, and then add the heavy cream.
Cook for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are softened and the cream has reduced halfway.
Take the pan off the heat and turn the mushrooms into a purée by using a food processor or a hand blender. Set it aside.
Sauté the Mushrooms
Melt the butter in the pan that you will be making the risotto on medium heat.
Add the mushrooms (dried or fresh ones) and chopped garlic, and gently sauté until lightly browned.
Spare half of the mushrooms for garnishing the risotto, keeping them warm.
Leave the rest of the mushrooms in the pan and start making the risotto.
Cook the Risotto
Add the shallots and the olive oil to the pan where you have half of the sautéed mushrooms.
Gently sauté them until soft and translucent. Don't let the shallots brown as it would ruin the flavor of the risotto.
Add the rice and cook for a few minutes until they are semi-translucent. Make sure the grains are heated thoroughly before adding the wine.
Add the white wine when the rice is hot enough and cook until all the alcohol evaporates.
Turn the heat to low and start adding the simmering stock a ladle each time.
Keep stirring the rice every 30 seconds until the stock is totally absorbed by the rice.
Add more stock when there is no more liquid in the pan and repeat the same process until the rice is nearly cooked but still crunchy.
Stir in the mascarpone cheese, salt, and black pepper at this point and cook for a few more minutes.
Check the rice, add the mushroom purée, and let it warm through. Add more stock if necessary until it's cooked al dente.
Add the cold butter and give it a vigorous stir. This stage is called mantecatura; the continuous stirring of butter into the risotto to develop creaminess.
Turn the heat off and add the grated Parmesan cheese on top. Do not stir the Parmesan cheese in, and let the risotto rest for 5 minutes with a lid on before serving.
Heat the remaining mushrooms for garnish if necessary in a pan or a microwave.
Serve the risotto and garnish with chopped herbs and the sautéed mushrooms.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Use proper risotto rice. Carnaroli, arborio, Vialone Nano, and Baldo all release enough starch for a creamy texture.
- Don't rinse the rice. Washing it removes the starch, and the starch is what makes risotto creamy.
- Keep the stock simmering in a separate pan. Cold stock stops the cooking every time you add a ladle.
- Add the stock a ladle at a time and stir often, ideally every 30 seconds. Stirring pulls the starch out of the rice.
- Use a wide, heavy pan. The rice cooks more evenly and needs less stirring than in a tall, narrow pot.
- Stay with the pan. Risotto left alone sticks to the bottom and dries out.
- Add the butter cold, straight from the fridge, and stir it in hard at the end. This step is called mantecatura, and it makes the risotto glossy and creamy.
- Turn the heat off before the parmesan goes on. Sprinkle it on top, cover the pan, and wait 5 minutes before you stir and serve.
- Simmer the mushroom stems and trimmings in the stock for 15 minutes, then strain them out for a deeper flavor.
Variations
- Make it with dried mushrooms when fresh wild ones are hard to find. Boil them in 1 cup of water for a few minutes, remove from the heat, and let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and chop them. Add the soaking water to your stock for extra flavor. Strain it through a paper towel or coffee filter first to catch any grit.
- Skip the wine if you are cooking for children, and use an extra ladle of stock instead.
- Make it vegan with olive oil instead of butter, and leave out the parmesan and mascarpone. The mushroom purée keeps it creamy.
- Finish with a few drops of truffle oil for a special dinner. A little goes a long way.
What to Serve with Wild Mushroom Risotto?
You can serve risotto as a main or as a side, depending on what you put in it. We usually serve this mushroom risotto as a side, but it's a good vegetarian main on its own.
We usually have this mushroom risotto as a side dish, but it makes a great vegetarian main dish on its own.
Serve it as a main meal along with a bowl of salad such as Çoban Salatası, Arugula Spinach Salad, or Greek Cucumber Salad.
It goes really well with simple lamb or fish dishes such as Baked Sea Bass in Foil, BBQ Grilled Shrimp Skewers, and Sac Kavurma.
Risotto cools and thickens quickly, so serve it on warm plates.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Wild mushroom risotto keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently in a pan with a splash of hot stock or water, and stir until it loosens up and turns creamy again.
Leftover risotto makes really good arancini, so I always save some for the next day.
The microwave works as well on a medium setting, with a spoon of liquid stirred in.
You can freeze it in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Use a dry, neutral white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Nothing expensive but something you enjoy drinking, since it cooks down in the pan and only the flavor stays behind.
The rice was probably overcooked, or the risotto sat too long before serving. Risotto keeps absorbing liquid as it stands, so serve it as soon as it is ready.
No, but you cannot walk away from it either. Stir every 30 seconds or so as the stock absorbs, and use a wide pan so the rice cooks evenly with less stirring.
Yes, the recipe works with chestnut or button mushrooms. The flavor is milder, so add a handful of dried porcini to the stock to bring back some depth.
Related Recipes
For more delicious rice recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this creamy and delicious Wild Mushroom Risotto as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Wild Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
Mushroom Purée
- ½ large shallot (finely chopped)
- 7 oz button mushroom (roughly chopped) (200 g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (100 ml)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Mushroom sauté
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 9 oz fresh wild mushroom (250 g, or substitute 9 oz - 40 g dried wild mushrooms)
Mushroom Risotto
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ shallot (large) (finely chopped)
- 1 ⅔ cups risotto rice (carnaroli, vialone nano, arborio or baldo) (320 g)
- ½ cup dry white wine or vermouth (115 ml)
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (1 liter)
- 1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
- ½ stick butter (50 g, cut in small cubes)
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese (80 g, grated)
- 1 tablespoon chives or parsley (finely chopped)
- salt+pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Prepare the Mushroom Purée
- Heat the pan with olive oil at medium heat.
- Add the shallots and gently fry them.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add heavy cream and cook at low heat for another few minutes until mushrooms are softened.
- Make a purée by using a food processor or a hand blender.
- Set aside and proceed to prepare the mushroom to sauté.
Sauté the Mushrooms
- If you are using dried mushrooms, boil them in 1 cup of water for a few minutes, remove from the heat, and let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Then drain the softened mushrooms and chop them. Set them aside to use them in your sauté. Keep the mushroom water you soaked the dried mushrooms in and use it in combination with the chicken stock when cooking the risotto for extra flavor.
- Melt the butter in the pan that you will be making the risotto on medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms (dried or fresh ones) and chopped garlic, and gently sauté until lightly browned.
- Spare half of the mushrooms for garnishing the risotto, keeping them warm.
- Leave the rest of the mushrooms in the risotto pan.
Cook the Risotto
- Heat the chicken stock or vegetable stock in a pan and leave it on low heat simmer. Set aside. You will use this when cooking the risotto.
- Add the olive oil to the risotto pan (where half of the mushroom sauté is at) and add shallots, gently fry at low to medium heat until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the rice and cook a few minutes until they are semi-translucent then add the white wine, and cook until all the alcohol evaporates.
- Turn the heat to low and start adding the simmering stock a ladle each time.
- Keep stirring the rice every 30-40 seconds until the stock is totally absorbed by the rice.
- Add more chicken stock when there is no more liquid in the pan and repeat the same process until the rice is nearly cooked but still crunchy.
- Stir in the mascarpone cheese, salt, and pepper at this point and cook a few more minutes before adding the mushroom purée.
- Check the rice and add more liquid if necessary until it's cooked al dente. Add the butter and give it a good stir.
- Turn the heat off and add the grated Parmesan cheese on top. Do not stir the Parmesan cheese in, and let the risotto rest for 5 minutes with a lid on before serving.
- Heat the remaining mushrooms for garnish if necessary in a pan or a microwave.
- Serve the risotto and garnish with chopped herbs and the sautéed mushrooms.
Notes
- Use proper risotto rice. Carnaroli, arborio, Vialone Nano, and Baldo all release enough starch for a creamy texture.
- Do not rinse the rice. Washing it removes the starch, and the starch is what makes risotto creamy.
- Keep the stock simmering in a separate pan. Cold stock stops the cooking every time you add a ladle.
- Add the stock a ladle at a time and stir often, ideally every 30 seconds.
- Use a wide, heavy pan. The rice cooks more evenly and needs less stirring.
- Add the butter cold at the end and stir it in hard. This is the mantecatura, and it makes the risotto glossy and creamy.
- Turn the heat off before the parmesan goes on, cover the pan, and wait 5 minutes before serving.
- No fresh wild mushrooms? Use dried ones, and add their soaking water to the stock for extra flavor.
- Make it vegan with olive oil instead of butter and no parmesan or mascarpone. Skip the wine and use extra stock if you prefer.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of hot stock.
Ayla says
Made this a few nights ago for my husband and he raved that it was better than the restaurants and that it was a total keeper and I couldn’t agree more!! Thank you for this delicious recipe!